Flight Safety Information August 14, 2017 - No. 162 In This Issue Incident: Skywest CRJ2 near Buffalo on Aug 12th 2017, smoke in cockpit Incident: Gol B738 near Curitiba on Aug 10th 2017, smoke indication Incident: Hawaiian B763 over Pacific on Aug 11th 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection (Video) Accident: Jetblue A320 near Buffalo on Aug 10th 2017, fumes injure 3 The AB-206 helicopter lost control just prior to landing (Italy) Express jet will no longer serve Delta Air Lines ASU study says airplane boarding process ups risk of getting sick An amateur drone pilot managed to land on the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier completely unnoticed How Do You Feel About The DeLorean DR-7 Aircraft? DRINK-FUELLED AIR RAGE STILL THREATENING SAFETY, SAY CABIN CREW 'THERE'S JOY AND SHEER TERROR!'EasyJet's Anthony Petteford on what it's really like to train pilots THE TERRIFYING, ONGOING MYSTERY OF SUFFOCATING FIGHTER PILOTS Russia to train female fighter pilots After a month-long break, SpaceX aims to return to flight Monday SMS360 and FDM360 Solutions "Angle of Attack" - NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER CHC Safety 7 Quality Summit - 2017 (September 27-29; Grapevine, TX) ISASI 2017, San Diego CA...August 22 - 24. 2017 Incident: Skywest CRJ2 near Buffalo on Aug 12th 2017, smoke in cockpit A Skywest Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N868AS performing flight OO-4281/DL- 4281 from Detroit,MI to Newburgh,NY (USA) with 45 passengers and 3 crew, was enroute at FL290 about 30nm south of Buffalo,NY when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted the aircraft to Buffalo for a safe landing about 20 minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire or heat. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4.5 hours, then continued the journey and reached Newburgh with a delay of 4:45 hours. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL4281/history/20170812/1254Z/KDTW/KSWF http://avherald.com/h?article=4acef545&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Gol B738 near Curitiba on Aug 10th 2017, smoke indication A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GTT performing flight G3-7660 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Santiago (Chile), was enroute at FL340 about 80nm west of Curitiba,PR (Brazil) when the crew received a smoke indication and diverted the aircraft to Curitiba for a safe landing about 20 minutes later. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PR-GUR was dispatched to Curitiba, continued the flight and delivered the passengers to Santiago with a delay of 6:20 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ace4ab5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Hawaiian B763 over Pacific on Aug 11th 2017, smoke in cockpit A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N583HA performing flight HA-64 from Lihue,HI to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 276 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 1200nm eastnortheast of Lihue about 3 hours into the flight and about 1000nm northeast of Hilo,HI (USA) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to turn around and divert to Hilo (with a substantial tail wind during the diversion), where the aircraft landed safely about 2:20 hours later. The aircraft taxied to the apron, where the passengers disembarked normally. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N588HA reached Los Angeles with a delay of 11 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Hilo about 12 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ace39da&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Accident: Jetblue A320 near Buffalo on Aug 10th 2017, fumes injure 3 A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N547JB performing flight B6-19 from Boston,MA to San Diego,CA (USA) with 126 passengers, was enroute at FL340 about 60nm northwest of Buffalo,NY (USA) when a number cabin crew reported feeling ill complaining about dizziness and headache, at the same passengers reported fumes/unusual odour in the cabin. The flight crew advised ATC cabin crew reported an odour from the aft galley and decided to turn around and divert to Buffalo where the aircraft landed safely about 30 minutes later. Three people were taken to a hospital, a number of passengers were medically assessed at the airport however no passenger was taken to a hospital. A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration N729JB was dispatched to Buffalo, continued the flight and reached San Diego with a delay of 6 hours. Passengers reported they were smelling an unusual odour and fumes aft of the wings, a good number of passengers complained about headache. Emergency services with detectors entered the aircraft after landing and checked the cabin. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Buffalo due to crew members requiring medical attention. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority reported two cabin crew were taken to a hospital for dizziness. Airport police reported three cabin crew reported ill and were taken to a hospital. The airport reported two cabin crew and a pilot were taken to a hospital. http://avherald.com/h?article=4acd8c79&opt=0 Back to Top The AB-206 helicopter lost control just prior to landing (Italy) Date: 13-AUG-2017 Time: na Type: Agusta Bell 206B3 JetRanger III Owner/operator: Vigili del Fuoco (Fire department) Registration: VF-10 C/n / msn: 8514 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Fonte Vetica (Mount Gran Sasso) - Italy Phase: Landing Nature: Fire fighting Departure airport: na Destination airport: na Narrative: The pilot of the AB-206 helicopter lost control just prior to landing with a strong wind. It hit the ground and fell over to the side. 2 of 3 occupants were slightly injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=197763 Back to Top Express jet will no longer serve Delta Air Lines ATLANTA (AP) - A longtime Delta Connection contract carrier based in Atlanta will soon part ways with Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Atlanta-based ExpressJet will not fly for Delta after late 2018. ExpressJet, a subsidiary of St. George, Utah-based SkyWest, recently announced that it and Delta have agreed to terminate their contract early. ExpressJet was formerly known as Atlantic Southeast Airlines or ASA. ExpressJet said it's working to "minimize employee reductions" through natural attrition or transfer opportunities within its existing operations. At other locations around the country, ExpressJet operates for United Airlines as United Express and for American Airlines as American Eagle. http://wsav.com/2017/08/13/express-jet-will-no-longer-serve-delta-air-lines/ Back to Top ASU study says airplane boarding process ups risk of getting sick PHOENIX - The way people board airplanes increases the chances they may get sick, a study from Arizona State University said. The study said airlines that load people on a plane by their seat number and force them to stand in crowded aisles ups the spread of communicable disease by 67 percent. Researchers said the boarding process posed a triple threat to spreading sickness because people are in close contact for extended periods, are in an enclosed space and mix people from different geographic locations who many have different vulnerabilities to disease. The study's co-author, Anju Mubayi, said his team proposed a new boarding system that would load once side of the plane before the other. Passengers would board randomly within those sections. Mubayi said the system would likely prevent bottlenecks and keep passengers from coming into close contact with any one person for an extended period. The study also suggested that, in the event of certain disease outbreaks, airlines could use smaller planes instead of canceling flights altogether. "Using smaller airplanes during [a disease] outbreak instead of completely banning flights to a specific destination can drastically reduce the probability of introduction of infection," Mubayi said. The study found no issue with the way people disembark, as it normally happens in a quicker fashion than boarding. https://ktar.com/story/1690827/asu-study-says-airplane-boarding-process-ups-risk-of-getting- sick/ Back to Top An amateur drone pilot managed to land on the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier completely unnoticed Drone Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier The drone recorded this image of the HMS Queen Elizabeth before landing on deck. Black Isle Images/Business Insider An amateur drone pilot landed on Britain's new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier without anybody noticing. The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, recorded video of the huge warship while it was docked in Invergordon in the Scottish Highlands last month. He then landed his vehicle - a DJI Phantom - on the deck and took numerous photographs of the apparently abandoned aircraft. The pilot posted the footage on a local drone photography Facebook group, Black Isle Images, on Friday morning. Here it is: Photographs of the flight deck taken while the drone was landed were also featured by media outlets including the BBC and MailOnline. He claims to have landed on the ship accidentally due to unexpected high winds that triggered an automatic landing function in his drone. In an interview with the BBC, the pilot said there was nothing stopping him dropping explosives on the ship, and that the ease of his landing exposed a major security risk. He said: "I could have carried two kilos of Semtex and left it on the deck." He continued: "I would say my mistake should open their eyes to a glaring gap in security. This was a bit of tomfoolery but it could have been something terrible, not just for the ship and its crew but for the people of Invergordon." Business Insider has contacted the pilot for comment. A Ministry of Defence spokesman told the BBC said that the military has "stepped up our security measures" in light of the incident, which is being investigated by the police. The Queen Elizabeth is currently sailing south from Scotland to Portsmouth. The ship's Twitter account posted this morning that it was in the Firth of Clyde, near Glasgow: View image on TwitterView image on Twitter HMS Queen Elizabeth @HMSQnlz Good Morning from The Firth of Clyde #QNLZatSea 1:41 AM - Aug 14, 2017 15 15 Replies 46 46 Retweets 211 211 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy According to the UK Defence Journal, the ship will arrive in Portsmouth on Friday. http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-lands-on-hms-queen-elizabeth-aircraft-carrier-unnoticed- 2017-8?r=UK&IR=T Back to Top How Do You Feel About The DeLorean DR-7 Aircraft? Today, I came across an interesting article from the popular online publication Wired, that I have thought about for the past month. The DeLorean DR-7 aircraft is one of those inventions you hope will see the light of day. This fixed wing car/plan isn't that far-fetched really and looks like an attractive piece of machinery and something that could fit nicely on the set of a Star Wars film. A few months ago, Paul DeLorean founder of DeLorean Aerospace took the wraps off this incredible vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) DR-7. It reminds me of how the Harrier jet can take off from a landing pad making it perfect for tight quarters. It has what the company describes as an industry first, with centerline twin vectoring propulsion system. While I'm not an expert by any means when it comes to aviation, I have a basic understanding of how some components work and I can appreciate Mr. Delorean's vision of an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. DeLorean DR-17 It is not meant to be some car/airplane system, but instead an aircraft which is easy to fly utilizing electric power. TODAY, WE HAVE PRIORITIZED RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND AIR QUALITY OVER REDUCING ROAD CONGESTION AND COMMUTE TIMES... WHY NOT DO BOTH? PAIRING A ZERO-EMISSION MODERN ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM WITH A LIGHTWEIGHT YET HIGHLY STABLE PLATFORM, THE VEHICLE THAT WAS ONCE ONLY OF DREAMS - FAST, EFFICIENT, AND SIMPLE TO OPERATE, IS FINALLY BECOMING A REALITY. The DR-7 is a commuter plane with autonomous capabilities and with an expected top speed of 240 mph or 385 km/h which can seat two. One can only envision or dream of flying in something like this. It certainly brings back some of those feelings you once felt when the DeLorean car was featured in the hit movie Back To The Future. All I know is that I want one and would gladly save up and pony up the money to get one if it becomes a reality. And speaking of the cost, according to eVTOL News, this aircraft is expected to cost between $250- $300k. I only hope it comes with an extended warranty, as one can only imagine the repair costs. Still, many aviation enthusiasts are already living the life. Just travel to the hundreds residential air parks in North America. These fly-in communities are homes to some of the most passionate people in the industry. The real estate market is ripe for residential air parks, and in much of the cases, the hangar is attached to the homes, often dwarfing the house. The DeLorean DR-17 would fit nicely into one of these communities if it ever see's the production stage. https://www.techmalak.com/how-do-you-feel-about-the-delorean-dr-7-aircraft/#.WZGXTFWGOUk Back to Top DRINK-FUELLED AIR RAGE STILL THREATENING SAFETY, SAY CABIN CREW Last orders: an advert at Stansted airport departures area urges passengers to enjoy 'one last pint before you fly' / Simon Calder 'The abuse cabin crew have to contend with in doing their job would not be tolerated in any other industry or walk of life' A year on from a new code of conduct designed to curb drunkenness on planes, cabin crew report it has had little effect. The voluntary code was agreed between the police, airlines, airports and airport retailers to "minimise disruptive passenger behaviour". But the Unite union, which represents 30,000 UK cabin crew, says a major survey of members showed more than three quarters had witnessed alcohol-fuelled air rage since the new rules took effect in July 2016. And fewer than one in four who were aware of the rules said it had helped to reduce drunken and disruptive behaviour. The Air Navigation Order states: "A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft." Under the UK Aviation Industry Code of Practice on Disruptive Passengers, airlines, airport bars and retailers agree not to sell alcohol to passengers "they believe to be intoxicated or encourage excessive alcohol consumption". The agreement also stipulates: "Retailers will advise passengers not to open and consume alcohol before or during their flight." But Unite says the code is not working. Since it took effect, 78 per cent of cabin crew say they have witnessed "disruptive passenger incidents". More than one in 10 said the behaviour had threatened flight safety. Unite's national officer for civil air transport, Oliver Richardson, said: "The abuse and disruptive behaviour cabin crew have to contend with in doing their job and ensuring passenger safety would not be tolerated in any other industry or walk of life. "The industry and the Government need to recognise that the code of conduct must be given teeth, look at factors such as levels of alcohol consumption prior to flight departures, as well as tougher penalties for the perpetrators of such behaviour." According to the Civil Aviation Authority there were 421 incidences of disruptive passengers at UK airports in 2016, with the majority involving drunkenness. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/drink-fuelled-air-rage-threatening-safety- cabin-crew-disruptive-passengers-unite-union-caa-a7891356.html Back to Top 'THERE'S JOY AND SHEER TERROR!'EasyJet's Anthony Petteford on what it's really like to train pilots No boarding pass required as ITV opens up the door of the flight deck to discover what life is really like for easyJet's trainee pilots Just three per cent of the world's pilots are women. It's a shocking statistic. So as budget airline easyJet opens its doors to ITV cameras for a new three-part documentary following its largest-ever recruitment drive, it's a relief to learn that they're trying to attract more women to enter the cockpit. EasyJet: Meet some of the cadets learning to fly an £80million jet "It'd make you cry," says pilot trainer Anthony Petteford. "There's a video where we show fighter pilots and others without faces, and we ask five year olds to draw what they think they look like - the kids always draw men. "The gender stereotypes are drawn far too early. "It might be argued that as women are good multi-taskers and it is a multi-tasking environment, it may be safer to have more women flying, but that's a controversial view... "There's no reason why there shouldn't be more women pilots. We're very much in favour of that." After years of teaching trainees to get off the ground, Anthony still hasn't lost his love of flying. Even if he sometimes gets a bit of a scare. "It's been years and years of joy punctuated by moments of sheer terror," he says. "Sat next to some students, you do have to be quick on the draw. The skill of an instructor is to keep things safe. To transfer skills, though, they have to learn by experience. "Some of the manoeuvres can be interesting - we have to teach them 'upset prevention recovery training', such as when the airplane becomes inverted. So we teach them to spin. Anthony has been pilots for 19 years 8,000 planes fly over 3 million passengers in the skies above Britain every day "It's a high-energy manoeuvre to get them into this. What you're supposed to do is make sure the engine is off, but on a couple of occasions they've put the power on and this thing spins like a top and it starts going faster and faster! You have to allow mistakes and then intervene. "Things like that get exciting." Anthony features on EasyJet: Inside The Cockpit, which follows a group of rookie pilots as they move from classroom to flight simulator and then into the air. It's hard work but Anthony, the Principal of Airline Academy at L3 Commercial Training Solutions, is sure people never regret their decision to become a pilot. "If their grin never goes away, as a trainer you've got it right," he says. "Being a pilot is great for many reasons: building up a model of the world in your brain is intellectually stimulating, and no day is the same, you never know what the weather is going to do to you, what the piece of machinery could do to you, but you have to be able to deal with it. "Then you have passengers who never cease to amaze you. I've had to break up fights. "You go there, put your hat on and people hold you in high regard, they think you're a police officer. So we have to prepare them for that. There's the human interaction part of the job. "Then finally, the other great thing is when you're not a pilot - when you can get up in the morning, fly to Glasgow and back, then turn off the engine and the rest of the day is yours. EasyJet: Inside the Cockpit: EasyJet are trying to attack more women to enter the cockpit "There's no other profession which unlocks you so much to do the things you like. It's the best job in the world. Nothing comes close." While Anthony raves about his profession, he has sat through some hair-raising experiences, most of which have come during landing. "Finding the ground is the fun part," he smiles. "When you're teaching, [the students] point the airplane at the runway. When they think the runway is there, they pull back and allow the airplane to sit on its wheels. "But if they do this too early, the plane drops out of the sky! That can be exciting. "If they do it too late, then the ground rushes up at them and they splat into it. They have to find the ground. "Ninety-five per cent of landings are done by hand. "At about 1,000ft, the autopilot comes off - if you're a passenger at the front of the plane, you'll hear it beeping and the pilot will guide it down. "You can circumnavigate the globe, you can go great distances and fly brilliantly, but if you don't make a good landing, the passengers think you're a rubbish pilot!" https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/4215870/easyjets-anthony-petteford-on-what-its-really- like-to-train-pilots/ Back to Top THE TERRIFYING, ONGOING MYSTERY OF SUFFOCATING FIGHTER PILOTS Staff Sgt. Katherine Stanton, a 15th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, completes one-on-one hypoxia training in the reduced oxygen breathing device and hypoxia familiarization trainer.U.S. AIR FORCE/SGT. WILLIAM A. O'BRIEN IT'S THE SCENARIO every fighter pilot dreads. Their mind goes blank. They forget their emergency drills, or can't recall their call sign. Their fingers fumble controls. They get disoriented or even lose consciousness. Worst of all, they don't even realize it's happening. These are the symptoms of hypoxia, when the brain doesn't get enough oxygen. It's an insidious condition whose onset makes it difficult to take the simple steps to fight back: turn on a backup oxygen supply and quickly drop to an altitude where the thicker atmosphere makes it easier to breathe. Though the cause of hypoxia is clear enough-not enough oxygen-no one's quite sure why the advanced systems designed to keep pilots breathing don't always work properly, or how to prevent problems. It can be a mechanical failure, contamination from exhaust fumes, a malfunctioning pressure suit, or something totally different and unpredictable. Hypoxia's latest victim is perhaps the most advanced weapon ever made: In June, Luke Air Force Base in Arizona grounded its fleet of 55 of F-35s for 11 days after pilots reported problems that sounded a lot like oxygen deprivation. "When you are exposed to less than ideal amounts of oxygen, physical coordination decreases, mental clarity decreases, and blackout can occur very quickly," says John Lannutti, a materials science professor at Ohio State University, who has spent a decade developing sensors to detect hypoxia in pilots. That's especially daunting for pilots who already deal with a hostile work environment. They fly strapped in tight inside a tiny cockpit, encased in bulky suits that make it hard to move, pulling up to nine Gs, often high above altitudes where humans can comfortably breathe. Hypoxia is a persistent menace. F-22 Raptor pilots have battled the condition repeatedly since 2008, in 2011 the Air Force grounded the entire fleet after reports of pilots blacking out. Since then, crews in the Navy's T-45 trainer jet started reporting issues, leading again to the fleet to be largely grounded. And hypoxia-like symptoms have been linked to the deaths of four pilots of Navy F/A-18s. At Luke Air Force Base, the five F-35 pilots reported hypoxia-like symptoms, including dizziness and tingling fingers and toes. The reappearance of the problem on this high-profile, high-tech plane has brought new attention to hypoxia, with the Air Force promising extra training, and researchers working on tech fixes. It's the common cold of fighter pilots-it can affect anyone, with no easy cure-with a deadly twist. Because it's happening across a range of planes, to different pilots, in different conditions, it's extremely hard to pinpoint any particular cause. "It's a multi-dimensional complex problem, and I really think it's a myriad of small factors that, when added together, cause these physiological events," said Luke base commander Brook Leonard at a press conference in June. Senior Master Sgt. Paul Johal briefs students in the altitude hypobaric chamber about familiarizing themselves with the oxygen equipment for hypoxia training at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, April 26, 2017. U.S. AIR FORCE/MICHELLE GIGANTE For the F-22, the fixes were a better pressure suit for the pilots, a new backup oxygen system, and the removal of a dodgy air filter. The best that the military could do for F-35 pilots, so far, is reducing the risk with training, biometric measurement devices, a better backup oxygen system, and no more flying at certain altitudes where problems seem to crop up. Not particularly reassuring. One common site of investigation is the aircrafts' on-board oxygen generation systems. Early planes kept pilots breathing at altitude by providing oxygen from canisters, like scuba divers, a fix that limited flight durations. The modern approach is to bleed high pressure air off the jet engine, cool and filter it, cut the nitrogen levels, and pipe it into the pilot's face mask. (Engineers don't pressurize the cabin, in case it's pierced by a bullet.) It's a complex system that involves an of valves, pressure and temperature sensors, connectors, and interfaces, from the engine to the regulator at the face mask, all to make sure just the right amount of oxygen reaches the pilot in any given situation. That amount changes quickly depending on altitude and G-forces, and the system has to keep up. And when an F-35 pilot pulls 9 Gs, all that force makes measuring the flow oxygen much harder, says Lannutti. He is developing a new type of sensor without moving parts which could help. "We are working with optical sensors-as the oxygen content of the gas stream drops, sensors increase in brightness, and so they monitor and quantify the amount of oxygen," he says. Similarly, British company Cobham has developed a suite of breathing mask sensors that monitor inhalation and exhalation. The idea is to alert the pilot to any problems before hypoxia sets in. But there's no real solution in the works, and little hope of one anytime soon. In the meantime, the Air Force is relying on pilot training, which includes subjecting them to hypobaric chamber which simulates the reduced pressure at 25,000 feet. They're told to take off their breathing masks, and quickly feel almost drunk. Instructors give them easy puzzles to solve, but most give up within minutes. In a newer exercise, the airmen are shown a color wheel in low light conditions, which they can barely see, but as the oxygen levels flowing to their masks are increased, the colors pop into clarity. The goal is to have pilots recognize how the world looks and feels when they're not getting enough oxygen, then react accordingly. It's a stopgap, but it's the best answer while the engineers work to breathe life into a permanent fix. https://www.wired.com/story/hypoxia-pilots-f35/ Back to Top Russia to train female fighter pilots A Russian boy waves flag with slogan "Russia forward" as "The Russian Knights" an aerobatic demonstration team of the Russian Air Force The decision means women could one day fly with The Russian Knights, the air force's aerobatic demonstration team Russia is to accept female fighter pilots into its Air Force for the first time since the World War Two. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said women were being accepted after the military received "hundreds of letters" expressing interest in enrolling. There will be 15 women in the first group, which starts training in October, Mr Shoigu said. During WW2, Russian female pilots were known as "Stalin's Falcons". German troops called them "Night Witches". This new generation of fighter pilots will be trained at the Krasnodar military aviation school, in the south of the country. The academy has been accepting women since 2009, the state news agency Tass reported, but not for pilot training. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40917550 Back to Top After a month-long break, SpaceX aims to return to flight Monday The California rocket company has been making news elsewhere-some good, some bad. Weather conditions Sunday were mixed at Kennedy Space Center, a day before the scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 rocket. After standing down for a month due to Air Force maintenance on the launch range along the US East Coast, SpaceX will attempt to return to flight on Monday. Provided the weather and spacecraft cooperate, the company will launch a Dragon carrying about 3 tons of cargo to the International Space Station. Launch time is set for 12:31pm ET, and there is a 70-percent chance of "go" conditions for the instantaneous launch window. This will be SpaceX's 11th launch attempt of 2017, with the company already having flown more rockets into space this year than in any previous calendar year. It last flew on July 5, when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted the very heavy Intelsat 35e communications satellite, nearly 7 tons, to geostationary orbit. Because the Dragon spacecraft is only going to low Earth orbit, the Falcon 9 rocket flying Monday will have plenty of propellant left behind to attempt a return to Landing Zone 1, along the Florida Coast. According to the company, this will also be the last time a "new" Dragon cargo spacecraft flies into space. Future cargo missions will be fulfilled with refurbished Dragons that the company recovers after water landings in the Pacific Ocean. This change should allow the company to move into production of crew variants of the Dragon spacecraft. While SpaceX has not been busy with launches during the last month, the Hawthorne, California- based company has been making news elsewhere-some good, some bad. Setting expectations Founder Elon Musk has had a tendency to over-promise in terms of schedules for his spacecraft hardware, and during the last month he has had to pull back on his Mars ambitions. Musk said in mid-June the company would not fly its "Red Dragon" mission to the surface of Mars, an innovative idea to land a large, uncrewed spacecraft on Mars. He also hinted that the initial version of a large rocket designed to transport humans to Mars, tentatively named the Interplanetary Transport System, would be smaller in its initial configuration. On the bright side, Musk revealed this month that SpaceX is targeting November for the maiden launch of its Falcon Heavy rocket. Already, the company has test-fired the three boosters that will be combined to form the heavy lift rocket. Musk has advised caution about the launch, however, due to its experimental nature. "There's a real good chance that vehicle does not make it to orbit," he said. "We want to make sure and set expectations accordingly. I hope that it makes it far enough away from the pad that it does not cause pad damage." Monday's planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket will take place from the same pad in Florida. And before it gets into November, SpaceX has a busy manifest to fly out, with at least six flights scheduled by November 1. https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/08/after-a-month-long-break-spacex-aims-to-return-to- flight-monday/ Back to Top SMS360 and FDM360 Solutions from Our hosted SMS and FDM software has purposely been designed to be easy-to-use and simple to implement. We also believe that our solutions are the most effective SMS and FDM tools in the industry. Don't believe us? Then please give us the opportunity to demonstrate our solutions to you. Our team has a wealth of aviation experience in safety, quality, risk management, flight data monitoring, IT and other aspects of airline operations and would be delighted to talk with you. For our latest Newsletter please click here For more information or to arrange a demonstration the please email sales@flightdatapeople.com or call +44 (0) 1344234047 Back to Top NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS AVIATION BOOKS Starting with the Air France 447 accident, the authors present a fascinating and heartbreaking human interest story about one of the most important events in aviation history. They have also written the defining work on Angle of Attack technology and what it means to every pilot and passenger. Their analysis of worldwide aviation accident history shows how the use of AOA equipment instrument may have prevented aviation tragedies. Autographed first edition copies available from Curt Lewis Aviation Books at http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/angle-of-attack Buy the book and Pilot Error, the acclaimed tie-in feature film the Milwaukee Journal calls a "first class ticket" and save $6. http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/book-and-dvd Meet co-author Shem Malmquist at the Beyond Risk Management booth during the ISASI annual seminar in San Diego August 22-24. Shem Malmquist, a 777 Captain and veteran accident investigator, is presenting "Investigating accidents that are a consequence of complex systems," with Dr. John Thomas (MIT) on August 24 at 11:30 a.m. at the ISASI Conference in San Diego. Malmquist will also be at Quinn's Ale House at the convention venue, the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina from 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. on August 23. For more details contact the author at spmalmquist@outlook.com or phone 901 302- 0779. Co-author Roger Rapoport is a Flight Safety Information contributing editor who conducted over 300 interviews around the world for this book. He is the author of Citizen Moore and has written for Harper's, the Atlantic, Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and the London Independent. WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANGLE OF ATTACK "We owe Rapoport and Malmquist a great debt of gratitude. Read every word." -Dr. Gary Helmer, Embry Riddle University "A great resource for aeronautical professionals ... exposes the failed defenses that can reside at each layer of the aviation system. A must-read for anyone with an interest in aviation accident investigation and aviation safety." -Dr. Chris Johnson, Director of Aviation Education and Research, Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison "A must-read for professional pilots, aircraft designers, government regulators and political decision makers." -Captain Elaine M. Parker, Beyond Risk Management "Angle of Attack sheds light for the novice and expert alike. Their subject matter expertise is admirable. They have used the Air France 447 crash and other crashes of automated airplanes as examples of accidents that might have been prevented if the crews had access to realistic training to prepare them for those rare events and if their aircraft had been equipped with angle of attack indicators." -Gregory Fox, Director of Safety, Florida Institute of Technology, ATPL pilot, safety manager since 1971, 35 years safety regulator, and 20 years check inspector on A320 and A340. "For the very first time the full story of Air France 447, one of the most significant events in aviation history, is revealed thanks to eight years of painstaking research." -John Darbo, Argus Inernational, former American Airlines manager of internal evaluation and event investigation "You don't have to be a pilot to find this book moving and absorbing." - Adam Hochschild, Author of Spain in Our Hearts and King Leopold's Ghost "This book proves conclusively that education by meteorologists is the key to fundamental understanding of the impact weather has on the elements of the aviation arena." - Debbie Schaum Embry-Riddle University "A masterful work that was hard to put down." -Captain Shawn Pruchnicki Ohio State University for Aviation Studies Back to Top Back to Top ISASI 2017, San Diego CA August 22 - 24. 2017 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 48th annual seminar at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from August 22 - 24, 2017. This year's theme is: "Investigations - Do They Really Make a Difference?" All up to date information including the link for registration and hotel reservations can be found at www.isasi.org. Dates to Remember Early Registration rate cut off is midnight July 5, 2017 PDT Seminar rate at the hotel will end on July 27. After that date there will be no guarantee that rooms will be available. We look forward to seeing many of you in San Diego Curt Lewis